CBD sleep products are becoming increasingly popular and sophisticated. Many contain not just CBD but other active ingredients, with melatonin and the minor cannabinoid, cannabinol (CBN), being the most popular.
But do these products actually contain what it says on the label? Are their levels of active ingredients accurate?
To find out, Leafreport bought 52 CBD sleep products and sent them to an accredited third-party cannabis testing lab called Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs. Most of these came in the form of gummies, tinctures, or capsules.
We compared the lab’s findings to the amounts of CBD, CBN, and melatonin listed on the product label and description. Here’s what we found.
Note: We’ve done similar reports on CBD oils, drinks, edibles, topicals, pet products, tea and coffee, CBG products, and even delta-8 THC. We also report on CBD product prices to help shoppers save money.
Summary
More than half (60%) of the 52 tested products contained inaccurate amounts of active ingredients, meaning the levels of CBD, CBN, and melatonin were off from the labeled strength by over 10% (refer to the accuracy rating section to see how we calculated this).
Other key findings include:
- Two out of three products containing melatonin had inaccurate melatonin levels.
- One product had no melatonin at all, while two others had 3-5 times the labeled amount.
- Products containing two of the tested ingredients were less accurate than those containing one or all three, with only 29% matching the label.
- Just over half of the products containing CBD had inaccurate CBD levels.
- Almost half of the products containing CBN had inaccurate CBN levels.
- Capsules performed the best out of any product category, with 50% matching the label, followed by 40% of gummies, and 30% of tinctures.
- Out of 9 products containing all three tested ingredients, 5 (55.6%) matched the label but only one did so for every ingredient.
- Out of 32 products advertised to contain broad or full-spectrum CBD, 25% were mislabeled.
Accuracy Rating
We measured the accuracy of CBD sleep products by comparing their labeled amounts of CBD, CBN, and melatonin to the test results.
While some variation is expected for CBD products, it should still be within reasonable levels. Industry experts recommend that cannabis products should have cannabinoid levels that are within 10% of the label, meaning accurate CBD products should contain anywhere from 90% to 110% of the advertised cannabinoid content. Although melatonin is not a cannabinoid, we also used the 10% benchmark to be consistent.
Keep in mind that some products contained only one of the tested ingredients, while others had two or all three. If a product contained two or three ingredients, we averaged out their difference from the label.
We gave products one of four accuracy ratings:
- A (Excellent): independent lab tests showed the combined levels of CBD, CBN, and melatonin were within 10% of what’s stated on the label.
- B (Decent): independent lab tests showed combined ingredient levels within 20% of what’s stated on the label.
- C (Poor): independent lab tests showed combined ingredient levels within 30% of what’s stated on the label.
- F (Fail): independent lab tests showed combined ingredient levels differed from what’s stated on the label by over 30%.
For example, if a CBD sleep tincture was advertised to have 500 mg of CBD, 500 mg of CBN, and 30 mg of melatonin, but our tests only found 250 mg, 250 mg, and 20 mg, respectively, that would average out to ((250/500+250/500+20/30)/3)*100 = 55.6% less than claimed. Such a poor result would receive our worst F grade.
Meanwhile, if gummies advertised to provide 25 mg of CBD and 2 mg of melatonin showed 23 mg CBD and 1.9 mg on the test, they would receive an A because that’s a combined difference of less than 10%.
Understanding the need for good quality products, and using this report and data from other reports, Leafreport has compiled a list of the best CBD for sleep. Leafreport also released a list of best CBD gummies for sleep products. To learn more about how Leafreport selects the best CBD products, click here.
CBD Third-Party Testing Explained
The CBD market is unregulated and full of low-quality products that don’t contain what they should. That’s why CBD companies pay independent laboratories to test their products to prove their safety and label accuracy.
The most important third-party test is a potency or cannabinoid profile test, which measures the amount of CBD and other cannabinoids in a product. These are the same tests that we order for our reports.
Verifying the levels of CBD, CBN, and melatonin in a product is important for many reasons, including:
- Ensuring you receive your money’s worth.
- A product with fewer active ingredients than claimed will be less effective.
- A product with more active ingredients than claimed will make it harder to figure out your dosage and can increase the likelihood of side effects.
Certificate of Analysis (CoA)
We bought 52 CBD products that were marketed for sleep and sent them to Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs, an accredited third-party cannabis testing lab based in California.
The lab technicians measured the levels of CBD, CBN, and melatonin in each product and recorded their findings in documents called Certificates of Analysis (CoAs).
Next, we compared the amounts of the active ingredients reported on the CoAs to what was advertised on the product’s label or description.
We also looked at the levels of cannabinoids detected by the tests, especially if the manufacturer claimed to use broad-spectrum or full-spectrum hemp extract. Such products are considered more effective than those containing only pure CBD and should contain detectable levels of THC and other minor cannabinoids.
How to Read CoAs
Trustworthy CBD brands post third-party CoAs on their website, making it easy to confirm you’re getting a safe and accurate product before buying.
While reading a CoA might seem overwhelming at first, the key information isn’t hard to find. The main section to watch out for is called “cannabinoids,” “cannabinoid profile,” “potency,” or something similar.
In this section, find columns and/or graphs listing the names of cannabinoids such as CBD, CBN, THC, and others, and their amounts in percentages or milligrams (mg) per milliliter (ml), gram (g), serving, or unit.
If you want more tips for reading CoAs, check out our detailed guide.
Summary Table
Here’s the summary of the test findings for the 52 CBD sleep products, which included 30 gummies, 10 oils, 10 capsules, one syrup, and one pill product.
The variance columns show the difference in percent (%) between the advertised level of CBD, CBN, or melatonin, and the actual amount found by the tests. A negative number means a product contains less active ingredients than advertised. The variances are combined and averaged out to arrive at the product’s overall accuracy grade.
You can also review detailed test results for each product after the main table.
Disclaimer: Our report is based solely on Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs’ findings. Test results may vary due to the degradation of cannabinoids over time, variation between product batches, and other factors. Our findings should not be seen as conclusive, complete, error-free, or at all times methodologically or scientifically accurate.
| PRODUCE NAME | CBD VARIANCE % | CBN VARIANCE % | MELATONIN VARIANCE % | GRADE |
| Elevate CBD Sleep Capsules | 10.27 | N/A | -2.00 | A |
| Pachamama Sleep Gummies | 4.55 | -1.75 | -17.50 | A |
| Nama Melatonin Sleep Gummies | -4.16 | 12.60 | -13.00 | A |
| Five CBD Sleep Gummies | 4.24 | N/A | 2.67 | A |
| Original Hemp CBD Sleep Capsules | 3.84 | N/A | 2.86 | A |
| ReThink CBD Sleep Gummies | -2.40 | N/A | -4.80 | A |
| HempFusion CBD Sleep Capsules | -2.80 | N/A | N/A | A |
| Hemp Bombs Sleep Gummies | 1.60 | N/A | N/A | A |
| Binoid Good Night CBD Oil | -0.88 | N/A | N/A | A |
| Sunday Scaries Sleep Tincture | -4.25 | 11.13 | N/A | A |
| Cibadol CBN Tincture | N/A | -4.36 | N/A | A |
| Wyld CBD+CBN Gummies | -0.88 | -8.00 | N/A | A |
| Moonwlkr CBD+CBN Gummies | -1.20 | -3.50 | N/A | A |
| Slumber Sleep Aid Capsules | N/A | 3.00 | N/A | A |
| Receptra Naturals Serious Rest Gummies | 1.88 | 0.33 | N/A | A |
| CBD American Shaman CBNight Gummies | N/A | -9.50 | N/A | A |
| Naturalis CBN Capsules | N/A | 1.60 | N/A | A |
| Dosist CBD Sleep Gummies | 2.48 | 6.00 | N/A | A |
| PureKana Sleep-Aid Gummies | -12.88 | -3.40 | -8.50 | A |
| Sky Wellness Sleep Softgels | 5.48 | 13.67 | 1.00 | A |
| Plain Jane Sleep Gummies | -5.00 | -2.80 | -6.80 | A |
| Charlotte’s Web Sleep Gummies | 21.80 | N/A | 5.33 | B |
| CBD Living PM Syrup | -12.99 | -7.90 | -14.63 | B |
| CBDistillery Sleep Synergy Gummies | 17.80 | 16.60 | N/A | B |
| Green Roads Sleepy Zs Gummies | -8.16 | N/A | -23.60 | B |
| Medterra CBD Sleep Gummies | -3.76 | N/A | -22.33 | B |
| Zatural CBN Gummies | 11.07 | 12.80 | N/A | B |
| FOCL Night Capsules | 12.80 | N/A | N/A | B |
| Nature’s Script Sleep CBD Gummies | 12.00 | N/A | 12.00 | B |
| Social CBD Sleep Gummies | 15.60 | N/A | N/A | B |
| High Falls Hemp CBD Sleep Tincture | 19.22 | -2.67 | N/A | B |
| SunMed CBN Gummies | 26.79 | 9.26 | N/A | B |
| Try The CBD CBN Sleep Oil | 5.17 | 28.59 | N/A | B |
| Elixinol Sleep Gummies | -5.27 | 17.00 | N/A | B |
| YIPS Night CBD Capsules | -11.28 | N/A | N/A | B |
| Kiara Naturals Sleep Tincture | -19.18 | N/A | N/A | B |
| Winged Sleepy CBD Gummies | -8.10 | N/A | -15.50 | B |
| Lazarus Naturals Sleep Gummies | 20.40 | 7.40 | N/A | B |
| JustCBD Gummies for Sleep | -10.50 | N/A | -11.00 | B |
| Blue Moon Hemp CBD Melatonin Gummies | -43.41 | N/A | -13.00 | C |
| Redeem Therapeutics Sleep CBD Gummies | -27.52 | -19.80 | -24.60 | C |
| PlusCBD Sleep Gummies | 29.40 | N/A | 29.00 | C |
| Harmony Sleep Gummies | 47.50 | -19.80 | -14.00 | C |
| Smilyn Sleep Tincture | 17.23 | 22.83 | N/A | C |
| Naternal Rest CBD Oil | 28.23 | 22.29 | N/A | C |
| Kore Organic Sleep CBD Capsules | 21.87 | N/A | N/A | C |
| RE Botanicals CBD/CBN Gummies | 5.40 | -47.90 | -16.50 | C |
| Procana CBD PM Softgels | 11.47 | N/A | -100.00 | F |
| CBDfx Calming Tincture | 73.89 | -13.79 | N/A | F |
| Vida Optima Dream Gummies | 32.36 | 31.60 | N/A | F |
| Sandland Stay Asleep Pills | N/A | 3.00 | 202.00 | F |
| Vida Water-Soluble Sleep Tincture | 0.20 | N/A | 383.67 | F |
Conclusion
Most (60%) of the 52 CBD sleep products we sent for testing didn’t match the label. Twenty-one (40%) got an A, 18 (35%) got a B, eight (15%) got a C, and five (10%) received an F.
This result isn’t as bad as it looks, because 75% of products received an A or a B, which is pretty good considering most had two active ingredients (rather than just CBD).
Additionally, many of the products that received a B or C contained small amounts of CBN and melatonin, making it more difficult to stay within the 10% cutoff needed for an A grade. Only a handful of products had undeniably poor results.
Of 32 products advertised to contain full or broad-spectrum CBD, we found 24 (75%) were accurate, which is also a decent result.
Another unexpected finding is that capsules performed the best out of all product types, with 50% receiving an A compared to 40% of gummies and 30% of tinctures.
Of 31 products containing two of the tested ingredients, only nine (26%) were accurate, compared to 58% of single-ingredient and 56% of three-ingredient products.
These trends are interesting but we’d have to test more products to see if they hold up.
The most surprising finding is that melatonin was the least accurate ingredient. Of 24 products containing it, 16 (66.6%) had melatonin levels that were off from the label by more than 10%. In fact, one product had no melatonin at all and two others contained 3-5 times more than advertised.
We suspect there are two reasons for this:
- CBD products contain less melatonin than cannabinoids, so it’s harder to maintain accuracy
- Because melatonin isn’t a cannabinoid, it may be treated as less important by product formulators (which is also why we haven’t seen any CBD brands ordering third-party tests for melatonin)
We were also surprised that products were more likely to have accurate amounts of CBN than CBD. This may be because CBN is usually added separately, allowing manufacturers better control over the precise amount.
Even though most of the tested products didn’t pass our accuracy benchmarks, by and large the findings still exceeded our expectations.
If you want to buy a CBD product for sleep, we recommend going with a trustworthy, reputable CBD company and checking the third-party test results to make sure the CBD (and potentially CBN) levels match the label.
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Written by Gleb Oleinik, CBD Journalist.
|Medically reviewed by Eloise Theisen, RN, MSN, AGPCNP-BC.
|Last Updated:Apr 27, 2022
Photo Credit:
Source : Leafreport
Link to original : Leafreport Study Finds Most CBD Sleep Products are Mislabeled
